Special Announcements

This page will be used to display announcements of interest for our members. They may be from the Squadron Bridge

or more formal in nature.

  


NOTE REGARDING VESSEL SAFETY CHECKS for boats larger than 20 meters (39.4 ft):

Under a recent change, a vessel 12 meters (39.4 ft) to less than 20 meters (65 ft) is no longer required to carry a bell on board. The Coast Guard said: "The bottom-line, a bell is no longer required on a vessel less than 20 meters in length. That of course means a bell is not required for those same vessels for successful completion of a VSC."

UPDATE TO THE EARLIER MESSAGE FOUND BELOW

     This interesting phenomenon In North Carolina which requires a log be kept on board for pump out in certain North Carolina waters is now taking another turn. Lu-Ann Perryman is Commodore of Blackbeard Sailing Club in New Bern and is also a paid Lobbyist. Lu-Ann has been keeping us updated on potential changes to this regulation and it appears an amendment has been filed in the State Legislature.

     According to Lu-Ann, the Environmental Review Commission is recommending technical corrections to the bill passed last session that has generated so much conversation of late.

     The changes the ERC recommends are:
     SECTION 1
         Deletes: "or are included in a petition to the EPA to be designated as a no discharge zone  unless the petition has been denied"  (That is a preemption issue with the Federal Govt).
     SECTION 3:
         Changes effective date of Section 1 of the act to December 1 (was July 1)  in order for rules to be developed.
     The recommendations will still need a vote of the Legislature either as a stand alone bill or in a omnibus bill of technical corrections.
Thought the info would be helpful to your readers.

Lu-Ann C. Perryman, DLC & Associates, Inc., 116 Spring Cove Dr, Cary NC 27511, Cell 919-818-0965
EARLIER MESSAGE:

The State of North Carolina, in a 2009 session, has added requirements that recreational boaters must now keep a log of pump outs on board your vessels, and the new regulation goes into affect July 1, 2010. House Bill 1378 makes it a misdemeanor for a vessel to not have this log on board.
   The bill states that all vessel owners and operators are required to keep a log of pumpout dates. Any owner or operator of a vessel that has a marine sanitation device shall maintain a record of the date of each pumpout of the marine sanitation device and the location of the pumpout facility. Each record shall be maintained for a period of one year from the date of the pumpout. Section 1 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2010.
   So as you see, although this is considered a misdemeanor, the fines can be considerable depending on the interpretation of the regulations. Section 1, 77-128 says no civil penalties shall be assessed and Section 1, 77-130 states fines can be up to $10,000.00. As we reported earlier in an April Waterway Alert, sections of the ICW in North Carolina have been designated a No Discharge Zone. The state of North Carolina joins a growing number of states that are taking a hard approach to the discharge of waste from recreation vessels.

We have received some further clarification on this which makes it about as clear as mud. According to the legislation the definition for the exact areas covered are as follows,
     A vessel in coastal waters that are either designated as a no discharge zone or are included in a petition to the Environmental

     Protection Agency to be designated as a no discharge zone unless the petition has been denied by the Environmental Protection

     Agency.
   So to know if it applies, you will need to know what waters have been petitioned as no discharge zones. That certainly will make it clear. Many have questioned whether this applies only to North Carolina boats or boats in transit. As the legislation is written, it applies to ANY vessel, which we will have to assume means transient, registered in other states, or documented vessels. We will provide you with more information as it becomes available. Stay tuned since it is not July yet.
      Additional information and Waterway Updates can be found on our website

 

Chuck Baier, General Manager www.waterwayguide.com
 

 

EPA Delays E15 Ethanol Decision Until Mid-2010

From today's National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) press release:

 EPA Delays Decision on Ethanol Waiver Petition
NMMA Supports Science-First Approach and Continues Call for Studies on Marine Engines

WASHINGTON, D. C., December 1, 2009 - Today, in a clear acknowledgement of widespread concerns about E15 on the environment, engines and consumers, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will delay a final decision on Growth Energy's waiver petition to allow ethanol blends up to E15 until more testing data is available. NMMA has long called for more testing given the serious concerns about the potential impacts of mid-level ethanol blends on recreational marine engines and boats, including increased air emissions, performance and durability issues, as well as warranty concerns. No recreational marine engines, fuel systems or boats are currently designed, calibrated, certified or warranted to run on any fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol.
    EPA's announcement notes that studies to date indicate that higher blends such as E15 potentially may be tolerated by newer automobiles, but that further and longer-term studies are pending. EPA has not conducted any studies on marine engines and a wide array of other non-road engines, as is required by law.
    EPA suggests it may approve E15 for 2001 and newer vehicles by mid-2010 unless data reveal problems. NMMA's view is that no decision should be made on E15 until all independent scientific studies confirm that it is compatible with both on-road and non-road engines.
     "We are pleased that EPA has acknowledged our concerns with E15 and elected to delay final judgment until more studies can be completed. We continue to call for more testing on marine engines and boat fuel systems," said Mat Dunn, NMMA Legislative Director. "Any attempt to 'bifurcate' the fuel supply by allowing E15 for only certain automobiles would lead to a myriad of misfueling, liability and consumer safety issues and likely cause the price of fuel for boaters to increase while availability of compatible blends decreases. Although EPA has noted that it is working on pump labeling requirements should higher blends be permitted in the marketplace, it is not yet clear if these efforts are sufficient to ensure that the nation's 70 million boaters are protected from these very serious concerns."
    For more information, contact Mat Dunn at 202-737-9760; mdunn@nmma.org or click here to read NMMA's full comments to EPA on the waiver petition.
    About NMMA: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy advocacy, market statistics and research, product quality assurance and promotion of the boating lifestyle. For more information, visit www.nmma.org.

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Annual Poster Winners

Click below to see our winners in the Annual USPS Boating Safety Poster Program

 

 

ANNUAL DUES NOTIFICATION - Changes Announced

     Effective in 2009, we are going to mandatory billing from the USPS Headquarters.  National is mailing the dues notices as usual but the remittance address is USPS, P.O. Box 30423, Raleigh, NC 27622. The check is to be made payable to USPS.

     Headquarters informed us that the mailing was made from an external vendor on April 14 so look for your billing to be coming in the next few weeks. If you have not received yours by the middle of May, contact the USPS at 888-367-8777, ext 4 (Accounting) and then option 1 for Linda Fuller. She can provide help.

Lt/C Gail Aikin, S
Treasurer

 

'Fair Winds and Following Seas'